Parents' Guide to Need for Speed Payback

Though it's a noticeable improvement over the previous model, this illegal street racing game is neither the best seen from the series, nor this year's best driving game. In Need for Speed Payback, you play as a former street racer trying to rebuild your reputation -- and your friendships with your former crew. Which is really just an excuse to do a ton of illegal street races, off-road contests, and cool movie-style stunts. Just be careful, as the whole "illegal" thing might draw the attention of the local police, who you'll then have to knock out of the way or just outrun.

The thing is, while the racing is solid, and the stunt work is unique and challenging -- thanks to the game's solid controls and twisty tracks -- the boring characters and their clichéd dialogue makes the story stuff rather tiresome. This is reinforced when they start yapping away in the middle of a race. Also, since the game seems to be set on a holiday Sunday when everyone's out of town, the roads are rather empty, thus eliminating the fun and challenge of having to weave in and out of traffic. Competing in races can also turn into a grind, as they quickly become a matter of completing a number of races just to get the right parts to advance the story. All of which makes this game feel like it's trying to be Forza Horizon 3 but isn't even up to the first one of those games. Still, if you've enjoyed previous installments of this racing series, you'll have a thrilling ride with Need for Speed Payback.